


Sanctuary

by Lovelylittlevulpix



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death Mention, Modern AU, but it's not on screen, mentions of previous sexual intercourses, someone has a panic attack, there's a pandemic going on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:21:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29167971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovelylittlevulpix/pseuds/Lovelylittlevulpix
Summary: It's been several months since Fodlan fell into a pandemic, and today Bernadetta has finally reached her breaking point. She's lucky to have such a loving and dedicated husband like Hubert by her side.
Relationships: Bernadetta von Varley/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Sanctuary

Hubert was not anticipating that he'd fall so far behind on work today. But cleaning up after his incompetent co-workers had consumed more time then he would have liked. Edelgard really should just fire them already… He sighed, adjusting the mask around his face and pinching the bridge of his nose, before he resumed with his work.

As he made a mental list of how many of his co-workers should be booted out of the office, a gentle  _ ba-doo boop _ snapped Hubert out of his trance, signalling him that he had received a text message. His fingers stopped their relentless assault on the keyboard as his eyes turned from the computer screen in front of him, and fell onto his cell phone. A picture of Bernadetta holding Clover, one of their cats, lit up his phone's touchscreen. There was a text message, from her phone number.

_ Had a panic attack at work today, so I'll be going home early. _

Suddenly all thoughts of his co-workers and his job vanished, his annoyance replaced with worry. He immediately texted her back.  _ Don't go anywhere, I'll pick you up. _

Some silence. He went into their text history and saw that she was typing something. He had wondered if she was writing an explanation of what happened, but in the end the next thing she wrote was just a simple  _ Thank you. _

He makes his way over to Edelgard’s office. It's been a while since he's suddenly had to ask to clock out early. But he's more confident in doing this than he would have three years ago. He has a fond memory of Edelgard scolding him for not considering clocking out when he fell ill.

He finds her sitting at her desk, going over some files he gave her less than an hour ago. She can barely keep her eyes open, and he almost misses seeing her suppressing a yawn. He resists the urge to laugh when he sees that she still hasn’t noticed her mask is upside down. She sees him approaching and looks up at him, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

“Is something the matter…?” She pauses and attempts to suppress another yawn. “...Hubert?” She asked curiously. 

He hates to have to leave her like this. Three years ago he would not have wanted to leave Edelgard for anyone. But his priorities changed the day he realized he was in love with Bernadetta.

“I need to take a leave of absence for today.” This surprised her. “Or, if I can’t do that, then at least let me cover tonight’s shift instead.”

Edelgard studied him. “Can you tell me what’s happened?” She asked. He sighed.

“My wife had a panic attack. I don’t want her to go home by herself.”

Now she looked more awake. More determined then he’s seen her all week. “I will let you go, but on one condition.” She stood up from her chair. “Take the night off with her, don’t come back in. And call me in the morning. If she still needs you, I’d like you to stay home longer.”

While he already knew this was how she would likely respond to his request, he was grateful all the same for her kindness. He would have smiled at her, if not for the mask concealing his face. “I am in your debt, Edelgard. I will make this up to you.”

“No need to, Hubert.” She insisted, shaking her head. “Just go home. She needs you.”

He bows to her respectfully, and takes his leave. Though his biggest priority is tending to Bernadetta’s needs right now, he does still wish not to inconvenience Edelgard like this. He sighed as he made his way back to his desk. He checks his phone; there’s a few emails from his associates, but nothing from her.

He collects his belongings, consisting of his phone, his briefcase, and the suit jacket he had discarded over his chair. He turns his work PC off, before making his way over to the breakroom to clock out. The computer for clocking in and out reads 1:57pm. He spots a coworker lounging on one of the tables, and resists the urge to reprimand him for not wearing his mask correctly. He doesn’t feel like getting into any arguments with anyone right now.

Unfortunately, as he exits the office and makes his way to the first floor, Hubert finds that urge to openly express his disdain for humanity much harder to suppress. Though there are only a handful, it still annoys him greatly when he spots someone not wearing their mask properly. An unfortunate sight that becomes more prominent as he exits the building altogether. The sliding glass doors swing open and the chilly autumn air greets him, as he pointedly avoids the people entering the building in his general direction.

Is it any wonder why Bernadetta had a panic attack? He doesn’t know what happened yet, but he can only assume that it had something to do with how repulsive humanity is in the face of a medical crisis.

He once asked her why she would want to return to her job after they had spent two months in quarantine. He assured her that he could provide enough for her while she stayed home, but she seemed apprehensive of the idea of her relying on him too much. He understood why, but it still made him sad.

He finds his car soon enough, and after making a detour to avoid rush hour, he drives over to where she works. The Golden Deer, a bar and grill. He expected to see a lot more people gathered here, but it is a Tuesday afternoon. He spots his wife’s boss waving at him from the front door.

“Hey, Hubert! Good to see you!” It’s amazing how much positive energy Raphael was still able to radiate even in dark times. Hubert could almost see his famous big smile behind his mask. It made him want to smile in return.

“Hello, Raphael.” He returned about as much warmth as he could. Which wasn’t a lot, but it was more than what he would offer anyone who wasn’t Edelgard or Bernadetta. “Did Bernadetta tell you I was coming?”

“Yeah, she did.” Despite his sunny disposition, Hubert could tell that he was genuinely worried about his employee. Raphael sighed. “Well, actually, I’m the one who told her to go ahead and clock out. I was gonna call you myself, but she insisted on reaching out to you herself.”

Hubert was surprised a little bit. Did she not know he had her boss’s number in his contact list? He had so much to ask, but that could probably wait until she was ready to talk about it. He knew she likely didn’t want to talk about whatever had transpired tonight, and he had no intention of trying to pry it from her. He just wanted to take her home so she could rest and recover.

“Can you show me where she is?” He asked. Raphael opened the door to the bar and grill, and gestured inside for him to enter.

The bar had a soothing, dimly lit atmosphere, accompanied by the smells of beer and fried food. Raphael led Hubert though the waiting area, past the bar itself, and through a decently packed row of tables. A few people were seated in the bar, and several were waiting at the tables, but Hubert paid them no mind. The only person he bothered to notice was Ashe, who was kneeling on the floor next to one of the tables, scrubbing it clean. There was a mop bucket next to where he worked, and the soapy water had an odd color to it.

_ What happened here? _ Hubert wondered to himself, noticing that there were a few tiny shards of broken glass at the bottom of the dustpan Ashe had propped next to the table. Carefully, Hubert made sure not to step on where Ashe had recently mopped. Raphael led him to a corridor, lined with paintings of the sea, at the back of the bar. At the end of the corridor was a pair of doors that lead to the breakroom.

There she was, at the far end of the room where their lockers were located, fidgeting with her personal lock. He saw that there were still tears in her eyes, and rushed over to her.

“Bernadetta? I’m here.” He assured her. She looked up, and he could see that she had switched the cute fashionable mask she had put on this morning to a more standard, medical mask. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her hands and shoulders were shaking. All the anxiety she had in her eyes had washed away with relief when she saw him, and she ran over to embrace him.

“...Babe, you… you didn’t have to do this…” She muttered weakly into his chest. ”I can walk home.”

“...I know. But I don’t want you to be by your lonesome right now.” He wrapped his arms around her, and she wept into his embrace.

* * *

He was able to get the full story after they got home, from a phone call with Raphael. Bernadetta had been overwhelmed with keeping the kitchen clean and trying to bus and clean the tables. Somehow, she had lost her footing and dropped a tray of dirty glassware onto the floor, and ended up going into a panic attack as she tried to pick up the pieces. Thankfully, Ashe and Raphael were witnesses to what had happened, and were able to excuse her.

Bernadetta had cut herself on one of her legs when she had dropped the glassware, so now she lay on the couch of their living room, draped over his lap. A freshly applied bandage was wrapped around her injured leg. On the top of the couch hovering over her was their oldest cat Mars, while their youngest cat Clover curiously circled Hubert’s legs.

“How’s your headache?” He asked. It’s been roughly half an hour since they got home, and she had taken pain medication shortly after they had arrived.

“...Better, now.” Her voice was still a little raspy from all of her crying, but at least it seems her tears had dried for now. Slowly, she eased herself into a sitting position, and reached for the glass of water on the coffee table. “Did Edelgard let you clock out?” She asked.

“Yes, though I would have still come even if she didn’t.” He smiled at her. Her mouth fell agape in surprise, and he laughed.

“Hubert, no! I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.” She sniffled, and rubbed her nose in frustration. “I think I’ve caused enough trouble tonight already…”

“Bernadetta, I think you have the situation reversed.” He smiled at her. “I’d say it’s more like  _ they’ve _ caused enough trouble for  _ you _ tonight, don’t you think?”

She smiled back. “I suppose that’s true.” Tears started forming in her eyes again, so he kissed them away before she could do anything. Then he kissed her on her cheeks, then her forehead, and then finally her lips. Her arms wrapped around him with that last kiss, and they just sat there on the couch for a while, enjoying each other’s company.

He knows her, how dedicated she was to her job. He remembered hearing from Raphael how proud he was of Bernadetta, for continuing to work to the best of her ability while they were in a terrifying time. She’s such a brave girl, but she’s become so weary from carrying on for so long. Tonight, he wants to make sure she knows that she deserves the world.

Clover and Mars seem to share Hubert’s sentiments, as they leap from their respective spots to Bernadetta’s level. She smiles sweetly at them, and pulls Clover into her arms. Suddenly her stomach growls.

“Hungry?” Hubert asked, already knowing her answer.

“No, I’m horny.” She quipped. She was joking, of course. They both laughed. “But yes, I am hungry. Are you?”

“A little bit.” Actually, he was quite famished. It’s funny, if this whole thing hadn’t transpired, then he would have only now had a meal-in. But honestly he's relieved to not have to eat yet another tin of microwaved beef teriyaki yakisoba. “Do you want me to cook?”

“Nah, that’ll take too long.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Let’s just order pizza.”

* * *

It will take 35 minutes for the pizza to reach them. In the meantime, she changed into her favorite loungewear and started her share of the laundry. He briefs over the paperwork he took home, hoping to get a general idea of how to tackle this particular issue when he gets back to work. She approaches him.

“Aren’t you going to change clothes too?” She asked.

“Oh, my bad.” He muttered, embarrassed. While it is true that being married to Bernadetta has changed his attitude with work, he still had some of his old workaholic habits from his bachelor days. All he’s done was discard his jacket onto his chair again. He puts the paperwork back into the briefcase, deciding not to worry about it right now.

He retreats to their bedroom to change clothes, only to be distracted by a picture hung on the wall. It was from their wedding shower. Officially, they didn’t get married in a wedding, just in a legal court. Bernadetta had found it too stressful to host a big fancy wedding, and instead had thought about hosting a smaller arrangement with their friends after the fact.

It was his idea, when she had confessed to him that she liked the idea of being married to him, but not the idea of hosting a wedding. In the photo, She wasn’t in a big fancy dress that she had to buy months in advance. She just wore her Sunday best and only a little bit of makeup. He dressed just as cleanly, in a suit that was maybe too nice for a regular work day, but not nearly the level of formality he would expect for a much fancier event. They held hands as they sat on a swinging bench beneath a willow tree, with a scenic view of a lake behind them.

She liked to keep things simple, a sentiment he deeply appreciated and agreed with. Then he remembered what he originally came in this room for, and changed into his loungewear. He finds her sitting on the couch again, the recliner pulled out with her feet propped up. Mars sat on the end of the risen recliner, directly on top of her ankles.

Bernadetta had her nintendo switch out, and was playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In the game, her avatar had her bug net out, and had used it to swat at an unsuspecting squirrel.

“Wow, haven’t you abused Marshal enough?” Hubert commented.

“He made Cube cry. He must pay for his sins.”

Before he could ask her for more details concerning the in-game drama, the doorbell rang. Moments later, he returned with a box of pizza. They ate at the table, not wanting to stain the couch or risk letting the cats get too close to their food. Mars had a bad habit of stealing food from them when they weren’t looking.

“How’s your project doing?” He asked.

“Which one? My scarf, or my book?”

“Your book. I saw you typing away on the computer last night before we went to bed.” She blushed, looking embarrassed.

“Sorry, I had a sudden burst of inspiration as I was brushing my teeth.” She muttered, sounding mortified. “I always seem to get ideas while I’m at work, and then those ideas either vanish or just grow stale as soon as I get home. I don’t understand why…”

He laughed. “I know that feeling. I often get ideas on how to best phrase an email I’m drafting while I’m in the middle of chores, or in the shower.”

“Speaking of…” Bernie’s voice trailed off as she was interrupted by Clover meowing at her. “What? Baby, I’m not giving you pizza. It’s bad for you!” He laughed as she tried to shoo the naughty kitty away. She sighed and turned back to him. “Do you wanna take a bath with me tonight?”

He smiled. “I would love to.”

They both liked their bath very warm, but not quite hot. As Bernie eases herself into the water by Hubert’s side, he thinks back on the first time they had tried to be intimate with each other. When they had started dating, Bernie had told Hubert she was too scared to try anything, and he was fine with it. But it wasn’t until about four years later that she found out he wasn’t making any advances just out of simple respect for her wishes, but also because he too was very timid with romance. Possibly even more so than her. They laughed about it, and studied practical safe sex together. The first time they made love successfully was just three years ago, about a year before they got married.

Now they’re no longer afraid to be intimate with each other. But that doesn’t just mean getting naked, that almost means sharing super intimate secrets that they wouldn’t tell anyone else.

“I didn’t tell anyone this, but… can I talk to you about what led to my panic attack today?” She asked. He smiled at her supportively, and kissed her.

“Only if you truly wish to.” Years ago he felt uneasy when she would share such personal information with him, afraid that he wasn’t well equipped to help her with her problems. It was only through experience that he learned all he needed to do was just listen. And so listen he did.

It was strange, the day had started off with her in as good a mood as she could be while working in a pandemic. But then came rush hour, and she had to start picking up the pace as she cleaned more and more tables. She was used to fast work like this, but it wasn’t getting chaotic until she had heard one of the customers almost choke on their food. All that coughing ramped her anxiety up to 9. It reminded her not only of how uncertain her situation was, but also of all the grief she had been through.

Her mother had died of the sickness that had been spreading through Fódlan just half a year ago. She heard her mother’s voice in the customer’s coughing fit. And she had remembered the nasty phone call she had with her father when she had to break the awful news to him. She tried not to think about it as she worked, but all the horrible things he had done to her over the years had just suddenly started dragging her back down, after she had worked so hard to climb out of the hellhole that was her father’s impact on her.

“Sometimes, I feel like these awful thoughts I have don’t seem to go away, no matter how much I distract myself. I don’t understand…” She turned to look at him, her voice shaking slightly as she spoke. “Do you… think we could arrange a doctor’s appointment? I know I took my medication last night.”

“That could be the case. We are… in a highly stressful situation, one that would be more cause for anxiety than what your previous medication has been made for dealing with.”

One last tear slipped out of her eye. She likely got a little emotional from having to recount everything she went through. He kissed her tears away, and helped wash the shampoo and conditioner out of her hair.

Hubert certainly has had his share of awful reminders while at work recently. He heard his late father’s voice reprimanding him in a heated argument between two coworkers.

“Is this what Dimitri was talking about, when he says he is haunted by the ghosts of his past?” Bernadetta wondered. Hubert thought the same thing.

Before his own thoughts could spiral out of control, a sudden loud song interrupted their train of thought. A lovely violin piece played through the silence in their room.

“Isn’t that the ringtone you set for Edelgard?” She asked him. He groaned, and rose out of the water. He would never miss a call from her, but her timing is usually better than this.

“Can I help you, Edelgard?” He asked.

_ “So, bad news. I just found out someone in our office has been tested positive, so I’m going to suggest you take a few days off while we get this sorted out.” _ He couldn't see her face, but he could hear a hint of frustration in her voice and imagined the way she would be pinching the bridge of her nose when she was disappointed or irratated with something at work.

“Is that so?” He asked. “That’s unfortunate.” And infuriating, but not surprising. “Should I be re-tested?”

_ “I’d say that’s up to you and Bernadetta to decide.” _

“Fair enough. Well, let us hope none of us were affected. Good night.”

One he ended their call, he turned to Bernadetta. “So, I have the next few days off. You should probably do the same.”

She sighed, out of both disappointment and relief. “I… have mixed feelings on this.”

* * *

After they dried off, Bernadetta made a second phone call with her boss that day, as Hubert decided to begin the preparations for dinner. It was roughly three in the afternoon, so he wasn’t sure if four hours was enough time for him to cook a beef stew. Then again, there wasn’t much harm in having dinner by 8pm.

She joined him in cutting up the vegetables after her phone call was done.  


“Raphael told me the Deer isn’t doing so well… I’m worried I might have to find another job in the near future…”

He thought back to what they talked about when she started working again. He didn’t want to pry, but he had to know…

“Bernadetta… why are you so afraid of relying on me?” She paused, before putting the knife down next to the diced carrots. She sighed and looked up at him.

“Hubert… I’m afraid I’m already relying too much on you. Most of our income comes from your job. I… I know you’re a capable man who can defend yourself and it is unlikely to happen, but… I’m terrified of the possibility that I won’t survive if I suddenly lost you.”

He stopped what he was doing to listen more carefully as she continued.

“I know that you have faith in me as a person who is fully capable of taking care of herself, but… I’m worried I wouldn’t be able to live on my own, in this capitalist world. Not with what little income I get from my current job. Why do you think I’ve been trying to get into higher education?”  


He thought very carefully about how he wanted to respond to her, to assure this very real fear and insecurity she has. He reached his hand over to her, and caressed her face.

“Bernadetta… If something does happen to me, I know you will be fine. You are a capable, independent person, but you also have friends you can rely on.”

“Even in trying times like these? I… I wouldn’t want to burden anyone else with having to live with them. Are you aware of Ingrid’s current living situation?”

Hubert knew what she was referring to, that Ingrid had fallen to unemployment shortly after her father died. Thankfully, she was able to find shelter by moving in with Dorothea and Petra. Is Bernadetta afraid of ending up in a situation similar to Ingrid, but having nowhere to turn to?

“If that does happen, then you should try contacting Edelgard. She will find a way to assess your situation. And if you’re afraid of the even more unlikely possibility that you’ll lose both of us, try to remember just how many friends you’ve made, and how many of them would be willing to help you.”

She falls silent. Then she reaches for her phone. She leaves the kitchen, but not before giving him another kiss. He’s left to finish dicing the carrots and potatoes as she messages their friends.

* * *

“Thank you for dinner, honey.” Bernie said with a smile. She finished her bowl and was ready to pick it up, when he beat her to it. “Hey! No fair!”

“It’s your day off.” He replied smugly.

“It’s your day off too and yet you’re hogging all the chores.” She grumbled.

A notification sound was made from her phone. She glanced at it, and she screamed. But not in horror. It was the kind of delighted scream she made when she saw an adorable photo or video of a cute animal. He peeked over her shoulder, seeing that Ingrid had sent her a video. It was a recording of a kitten absolutely going to town on a deboned baked chicken. He scanned the replies that her friends had made in response to the video.

**Raphael:** god I wish that were me

**Caspar:** same 

**Caspar:** also look at him GOOOOOOO

**Hilda:** Nomnomnomnomnom

**Ashe:** B-Babey…

**Marianne:** Anyone else noticed that the chicken is completely unboned? This makes me really happy.

“How is Ingrid doing right now?” He asked. She smiled at him, flashing her phone in his direction.

“She managed to land another job recently. She’s still living with Dorothea and Petra, but they’re working things out together. We talked for a good hour today, and she gave me a lot of helpful advice.”

When they had decided they wanted to marry, he had sworn to protect her from anything and everything that came their way. In hindsight, that was a noble but arrogant vow. He had been greatly humbled when he had been seriously injured merely days after their marriage, and had to rely on her instead. He wanted to be her sanctuary. But he found that he didn’t have to do that alone. That was when he had to learn to have faith in her, and in their friends.

Hubert had spent most of his day being absolutely disgusted with humanity as a whole. But as he and Bernadetta crawled into bed, he was reminded of the sides of humanity that he could have faith in. The friends that he and Bernadetta had made. The friends that he felt comfortable enough to rely on.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this was my first time posting something to the archive, so I'm pretty nervous admitting this. If you've come this far, I'd like to thank you for reading Sanctuary.
> 
> Truth is, I wrote this back in November of 2020, and a lot of what's written here is based on my own feelings and experiences. Just like Bernadetta, I had gotten so stressed out at my last job that at one point I fell into a panic attack and had to clock out early. And just like Bernie, I was fortunate enough to have bosses who were kind enough to let me go that day. I don't have a husband, but I do have two amazing parents who were able to respond to me right away when I told them what happened and were able to take me home. Just like Bernie in this universe, I had lost my mother, but it wasn't because of Covid (she had died back in 2010).
> 
> Sometimes I feel like just giving up on humanity all together, because of this pandemic. I'm sure you probably feel like you have, and I wouldn't blame you if you did. But, at the same time, I know I am fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful people who support me. My stepmom, who's been a huge help in guiding me as I'm trying to get back into education. My dad, who's been looking after me and helping me through my anxieties. My boyfriend, who treats me kindly and respects me and makes me laugh. My friends on discord, whom I feel I can talk to about just anything. My bosses from my last job, who have been so kind to me the entire time I worked there and made my time at least somewhat beareable. And my family's pets, who are dear to me and mean the world to me.
> 
> I'm so blessed to have so many with me supporting me through this scary, scary world I'm in. If you feel like you don't have anyone in the world, I hope I can give you some sense of community, if only for a moment.


End file.
